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Excited vs exited

Excited and exited are two words that are very close in spelling and pronunciation, and are often confused. We will examine the definitions of excited and exited, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.

Excited is the past tense of the word excite, which means to make someone feel eager, enthusiastic or sexually aroused. Related words are excites, exciting. Excited is also used as an adjective. The word excite is derived from the Latin word excitare, which means to rouse or produce.

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Exited is the past tense of the word exit, which means to depart or to leave. Related words are exits, exiting. Exit is derived from the Latin word exit, meaning to go out. It was originally only used as a stage direction. By the 1580s exit was used to mean to depart from any situation, and was used as a noun to mean a door or other means of escape by the mid-1700s.

Examples

According to Business Insider, the people who run private prisons are excited about the financial possibilities of Trump’s immigration policies. (GQ Magazine)

A bride came up with an amusing way of launching her bouquet through the air at her excited wedding guests. (The Mirror)

Leicester City captain Wes Morgan has revealed that he is excited by the money being spent around the Premier League as clubs look to retool for the new season. (Sports Illustrated Magazine)

Ireland has exited its lost decade of recession according to Goodbody Stockbrokers but advocacy groups are warning that deprivation levels remain high for many. (The Irish Examiner)

A criminal complaint states minutes after the brothers exited the club, officers heard multiple gunshots in the area of South Penn and Zane streets, at about 1:40 a.m. May 9. (The Wheeling News-Register)